Musician's Experience After Breast Cancer Treatment: Defining Musical Toxicity and its Frequency.

Purpose: Over 50% of households in the United States have at least one musician-many musicians are also breast cancer survivors. This group has not been well studied, and given the level of fine sensory-motor skill required for musicianship, we hypothesized that musicians experience unique manifestations of breast cancer treatment toxicities.

Methods: A nine-item Musical Toxicity Questionnaire (MTQ) was distributed to patients who had consented to participate in the Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Registry.

Two-way Dispatched function in Sonic hedgehog shedding and transfer to high-density lipoproteins.

The Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway controls embryonic development and tissue homeostasis after birth. This requires regulated solubilization of dual-lipidated, firmly plasma membrane-associated Shh precursors from producing cells. Although it is firmly established that the resistance-nodulation-division transporter Dispatched (Disp) drives this process, it is less clear how lipidated Shh solubilization from the plasma membrane is achieved.

Does foil-like debris impair barnacles by covering them?

On 24 June 2024, we detected foil that tightly adhered to an intertidal wall in Vigo harbor (Spain) during low tide. It covered multiple barnacles, potentially threatening their survival. We present photos of this novel debris-animal interaction and discuss possible effects that such cover could have on barnacles.

Development of Quick Response (QR) Training of Tractor Component Identification, Function, Maintenance, and Safety.

Given the high variability of secondary agricultural teacher background and facility constraints, the instruction of tractor (and similar agricultural machinery) component identification, function, maintenance, and corresponding safety precautions oftentimes prove difficult and/or inconsistent. This study focused on the development and plausible application of quick response codes, commonly referred to as QR codes, placed on a demonstration tractor or machine to be used as a self-guided student learning experience for training the next generation of safe operators. This review documents a novel self-guided instruction methodology utilizing "gamification" learning theory.

A Residual N-Terminal Peptide Enhances Signaling of Depalmitoylated Hedgehog to the Patched Receptor.

During their biosynthesis, Sonic hedgehog (Shh) morphogens are covalently modified by cholesterol at the C-terminus and palmitate at the N-terminus. Although both lipids initially anchor Shh to the plasma membrane of producing cells, it later translocates to the extracellular compartment to direct developmental fates in cells expressing the Patched (Ptch) receptor. Possible release mechanisms for dually lipidated Hh/Shh into the extracellular compartment are currently under intense debate.

Prospective Association of Psychological Distress and Sexual Quality of Life Among Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Survivors.

Sexual health concerns are one of the most common late effects facing hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) survivors. The current study tested whether self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms before transplant were associated with embedded items assessing two specific areas of sexual health-sexual interest and sexual satisfaction-one year post-HSCT. Of the 158 study participants, 41% were diagnosed with a plasma cell disorder (n = 60) and most received autologous transplantation (n = 128; 81%).

U.S. Women with Invasive Cervical Cancer: Characteristics and Potential Barriers to Prevention.

Although invasive cervical cancer (ICC) rates have declined since the advent of screening, the annual age-adjusted ICC rate in the United States remains 7.5 per 100,000 women. Failure of recommended screening and management often precedes ICC diagnoses.

Pre/post-Test Evaluations of Agricultural Biosecurity Curriculum.

Objective: In this combined study, the efficacy of different educational methods in enhancing students' agricultural biosecurity knowledge, which is vital for public health, food security, and agricultural safety, was assessed.

Methods: In-person and virtual learning methods, utilizing educational content developed for the Gearing Up for Safety program, were investigated with 692 total participants. In the in-person learning method, 459 students aged 12-20 received a 50-minute in-person training session using the Gearing Up for Safety lesson on agricultural biosecurity.

Emotional distress and future healthcare utilization in oncology populations: A systematic review.

Objective: Emotional distress has been correlated with greater healthcare utilization and economic costs in cancer; however, the prospective relationship between positive distress screens and future healthcare utilization is less clear. Taken together, there is a critical need to synthesize studies examining the prospective relationship between emotional distress and future healthcare use to inform distress management protocols and motivate institutional resource allocation to distress management. The aim of the systematic review is to explore the relationship between emotional distress, measured via validated emotional distress questionnaires, and subsequent healthcare utilization in patients diagnosed with cancer.

Low-level pathogen infection and geographic location correlate with the skin microbiomes of Columbia spotted frogs () in a montane landscape.

The skin microbiome of amphibians can influence host susceptibility towards the fungal pathogen (Bd), while simultaneously having the potential to be altered by Bd. Severe Bd infections are known to alter the amphibian skin microbiome; however, little is known about microbiome interactions in amphibians with low infection intensity. In addition to disease dynamics, environmental factors may influence the microbiome.

Clinician perspectives of ABI vocational rehabilitation in Queensland.

Introduction: Services to support adults with acquired brain injury (ABI) and return to work goals are varied. In Queensland, Australia, return to work goals may be addressed through private or publicly funded rehabilitation services or through publicly funded employment programs. No set frameworks or processes are in place to guide clinicians in providing vocational rehabilitation to adults with ABI, and the extent to which services address clients' vocational goals and/or provide vocational rehabilitation is unknown.

Variation of Clasper Scent Gland Composition of Heliconius Butterflies from a Biodiversity Hotspot.

Male Heliconius butterflies possess two pheromone emitting structures, wing androconia and abdominal clasper scent glands. The composition of the clasper scent gland of males of 17 Heliconius and Eueides species from an overlapping area in Ecuador, comprising three mimicry groups, was investigated by GC/MS. The chemical signal serves as an anti-aphrodisiac signal that is transferred from males to females during mating, indicating the mating status of the female to prevent them from harassment by other males.

A framework to support early team-based provision of vocational rehabilitation for adults with acquired brain injury.

Purpose: Specialised vocational rehabilitation (VR) following acquired brain injury (ABI) positively impacts return to work, however access to this is limited globally. Providing VR as a component of standard ABI rehabilitation may improve access to VR and influence vocational outcomes. This study aimed to develop an evidence-based framework for the delivery of ABI VR during early transitional community rehabilitation.

Characterization of three plastic forms: Plasticoncrete, plastimetal and plastisessiles.

Plastic forms, including plastiglomerate, pyroplastic, plasticrusts, anthropoquinas, plastistone and plastitar, were recorded worldwide. These plastic forms derive from geochemical or geophysical interactions such as heat-induced plastic fusion with rock in campfires, incomplete plastic combustion, water motion-driven plastic abrasion in the rocky intertidal zone, plastic deposition in hardened sediments and plastic bonding with tar. Thereby, these interactions can profoundly influence the fate of plastics in the environment.

Real-World Implementation of Best-Evidence Cancer Distress Management: Truly Comprehensive Cancer Care.

Background: Cancer distress management is an evidence-based component of comprehensive cancer care. Group-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for cancer distress (CBT-C) is the first distress treatment associated with replicated survival advantages in randomized clinical trials. Despite research supporting patient satisfaction, improved outcomes, and reduced costs, CBT-C has not been tested sufficiently within billable clinical settings, profoundly reducing patient access to best-evidence care.

U-Net-Based Segmentation of Current Imaging Biomarkers in OCT-Scans of Patients with Age Related Macular Degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the Western world. In this work, the non-invasive imaging technique spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is used to acquire retinal images, which are then analyzed using deep learning techniques. The authors trained a convolutional neural network (CNN) using 1300 SD-OCT scans annotated by trained experts for the presence of different biomarkers associated with AMD.

Plasticrust generation and degeneration in rocky intertidal habitats contribute to microplastic pollution.

Plasticrusts are a plastic form that consists of plastic encrusting intertidal rocks. To date, plasticrusts have been reported on Madeira island (Atlantic Ocean), Giglio island (Mediterranean Sea) and in Peru (Pacific Ocean) but information on plasticrust sources, generation, degeneration and fate is largely missing. To address these knowledge gaps, we combined plasticrust field surveys, experiments and monitorings along the Yamaguchi Prefecture (Honshu, Japan) coastline (Sea of Japan) with macro-, micro- and spectroscopic analyses in Koblenz, Germany.

In-situ investigation of solid phase evolution during lyophilization of mannitol-based antibody formulations using an XRPD climate chamber.

Crystalline mannitol is commonly used as bulking agent in antibody formulations to provide structure to the lyophilized cake and prevent collapse. Depending on the lyophilization process conditions mannitol can either crystallize as α-, β-, δ-mannitol, mannitol-hemihydrate, or transition to its amorphous state. While crystalline mannitol helps to create a firmer cake structure this is not true for amorphous mannitol.

Factor Analysis of the Beck Depression Inventory-II and Long-Term Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Survival Using the Research Domain Criteria Framework.

The presence of depressive symptoms prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a common experience, with long-term impacts on survival. Using the National Institute of Mental Health Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework, this study sought to characterize depressive symptoms in patients prior to HSCT through exploratory factor analysis and to determine whether depressive factors were significant predictors of long-term survival. Individuals were included in the study if they were preparing to undergo HSCT and endorsed depressive symptoms measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II).

The scent chemistry of butterflies.

Covering: 1990 up to 2022 Contrary to popular opinion, butterflies exhibit a rich chemistry and elaborate use of volatile compounds, especially for sexual communication, but also for defence. In contrast to night flying moths, in which commonly females are the producers of pheromones, male scent emission is prevalent in butterflies. While visual signals are generally important for long-range attraction, butterfly scent signals are often active only within a short range.